Foldaway shoe tree



Nov. 2, 1948. w. F. SHEPPARD 'FOLDA'WAY SHOEY'IREE 2 Sheets-Sheet J.

Filed-June 29, 1946- Nov. 2, 1948. w. F. SHEPPARD 2,452,689

FOLDAWAY SHOE TREE Filed June 29, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. I2, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDAWAY SHOE TREE William F.Sheppard, Chicago, Ill.

Application June 29, 1946, Serial No. 680,436

4 Claims.

The invention relates to a foldaway device providing a pair of shoetrees for supporting and maintaining shoes in shape and has for anobject to provide a foldaway shoe tree that can be easily attached to awall, door or the like, and which will present resilient means forsupporting shoes off the floor. The device of the invention ischaracterized by a bracket of novel construction having means forjournalling an arm member to which is fixed a pair of resilient shoetrees. A more specific ob ject of the invention resides in the provisionof a bracket for the device as described which will embody supportingmeans for the arm member and which will permit the arm member to bepositioned in either one of two positions whereby the shoe trees may behorizontally or vertically disposed.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a device asdescribed wherein the bracket and arm member combination may be readilyassembled and disassembled and wherein with the arm member operativelyjournalled by the bracket the same may swing in an arc of approximatelyninety degrees.

A further object residesin a shoe tree device having resilient mean-sfor supporting them in shape, both as regards the heel and toe; a devicewherein the supported shoes may be positioned vertically to prevent dustfrom settling in the inside of the shoe; and a device of the characterdescribed which will be simple in construction and economical tomanufacture.

With these and other objects in view the invention may consist ofcertain novel features of 3 construction and operation as will be morefully described and particularly pointed out in the specification,drawings and claims appended hereto.

In the drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the invention andwherein like reference characters are used to designate like partsFigure 1 is a top plan view of the device of the invention showing indotted outline a pair of shoes in associated supported relation on theshoe Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 5-5 ofFigure 1. 7 Referring to the drawings and particularly Figures 1 and 2,the foldaway shoe tree device of the invention is shown in a preferredembodiment in supported relation with a vertical wall, door or the like,indicated by numeral In. The bracket I l is secured in proper positionvertically of said support In by means of the wing head screw I2 whichpasses through an opening I3 provided therefor in the bracket forthreaded securement with the support. As best shown in Figure 2, thebracket consists of an elongated section of metal or other suitablematerial substantially channel-shaped in cross section and whichprovides the central body portion I4 and the top and bottom flanges I5and I6. The top flange I5 is continuous for its entire length althoughnotched openings I1 and I8 are formed therein for locking the arm memberin vertical position as will be better understood as the descriptionproceeds. The notched openings l1 and I8 communicate with verticallyextending slots 2| and 22 in the body portion I4 of the bracket andwhich slots permit swinging movement of the arm member from a verticalposition to a horizontal position.

For journalling the arm member 20 the bracket II is provided with novelstructure which is formed from the bottom flange I6. As shown in Figure2', the flange is severed and portions are bent upwardly to form theuprights 23 and 24. An opening 25 is formed in each upright of adiameter to accommodate the arm member 20 and for inserting thejournalling portion of the arm member within said openings the same areprovided with a throat or passageway 26 located in the rear edge of therespective portions 23 and 24. A retaining lip 21 is'formed from thebottom flange IS, the same having an arcuate formation, as shown, forreleasably retaining the arm member in journalling relation with bracketI I. As the journalling portion of the arm member 20 is inserted inopenings 25 the retaining lip 21 is depressed to provide suificientclearance for this inserting operation. With the arm member properlyjournalled by the openings the retaining lip is allowed to assume itsnormal position whereupon the same functions to releasably retain thearm member properly journalled in the openings, as will be clearlyunderstood. 1 I

The arm member 28 is best shown -in-Figures 1 and 3 wherein it will beappreciated that said member includes a central journalling portion 28and forwardly and downwardly extending arms 30 and 3! which are formedby right angle bends from the journalling portion.- A shoe tree issuitably fixed to each arm 3!! and-3| as will be clear by reference tothe drawings. With the arm member journalled in openings 25 of thebracket the arms 35.! and 3| extend through slots 2| and 22,respectively. It will be seen from Figure 3 that the arms have twopositions and which are approximately ninety degrees apart. In oneposition the arms 3!! and 3| extend through their respective slots andengage the position. The resiliency of the spaced arms 33' and 3| issuch as to permit them to pass through the notched entrance to theopenings 11 and I8, whereby they are held by resilient tension andrequire a positive act on the part of the operator to again locate thearm member in a downposition where the shoe trees are disposedsubstantially horizontally.

In'accordance with the invention each arm 30 and 34 includes a dependingportion to which is fixedly secured a resilient shoe tree indicated inits entirety by numeral 32. The shoe trees are universal, that is,either one may be used for a rightorleit shoe, and therefore it will beunders-t'ood that the description of one applies to the other. A shoetree consists principally of a maintension member 33 and an auxiliarytension'in'ember 3311., the main tension member being'disposed'longitudinally and having suitably fifired toits outwardly extending enda toe piece such as 34. The other end or" this main ten sion memberincludes a fiat heel portion 35; a rear heel portion 36, and which isbent to form the-top portion 311 This main tension member is suitablysecured tothe depending portion of the arm pass through the top part 31and through" the flat heel portion 35. By means of opposed nuts 38 and39 the said main tension member is fixedly secured in position, asdescribed, to its respective arm.

The heel' of the shoe treea'dditionallyincludes the resilient sidemembers fiiland 4 l Figure 4, the same being formed from a single lengthof spring metal and which is secured centrally of its flat portion 42,to the depending" portion of arm 30 by means of opposed securing nuts 33and 39 Actually the dependingend of the arms .3lltand 3i are eachthreaded and said threaded end passes through the main tension memberand, through the metal strip providing the re.- silient side members 40and 4|. However, it will be observed that the resilient side members atand 41' are not constrained, having. a free upper end t3 so that theyexert maximum tension in the vicinity of the heel portion of the shoe tomaintain said heel. portion in proper shape. As distinguished from theresilient side members, the rear heel pcrtion 36 of the main tensionmember is-fixed at its upper end by means of part 31 to its respectivearm and thus the resiliency of said heel portionis somewhat restricted.In accordance with the invention said heel portion36 is formed toprovide, a recess 44. which recess. is adaptedto receive the rear. strapof an open heel shoe. and which thereby functions to facilitate the'retaining; of the shoe. on the tree.

In View. of the foregoing, the device of. the invention, essentiallyconsists of a bracket which journals an arm. member providing a pair ofoutwardly and downwardly extending arms and to each of which are securedresilient elements providing a shoe tree, for supporting and maintaininga shoe in proper shape. The device can be readily secured to a supportby the wing head screw I2 which securely fastens the bracket with therear edges of the flanges l and IS in contact with the support. Thenecessary elements for journalling the armmember are provided by" thebracket and it will be understood that said arm member may be readilyassembled therewith or disassembled therefrom. The arm member haslimitedoscillating movement toposition the shoe trees substantiallyhorizo-ntallyorvertically where they are folded away against thesupport, in which position the shoes require a minimum of space and theyare further retained in a position preventing dust from collectinginside the toe portion of. the shoe. The shoe trees are relativelysimple in construction, requiring a plurality of resilient members whichform a toe piece and a heel portion. With the shoe in associatedsupported relation on the shoe tree its proper shape is effectivelymaintained both as regards the foot portion of the shoe and also theheel; By means of the depression orrecess 44 open heel shoes may beproperly retained by having the heel strap fit in said recess. Themaintension member 33 of each shoe tree is formed of resilient materialhaving a preformedshape substantially as shown in Figure 3 where-thecurvatu-re conforms to the instep of the shoe and is designed forimparting the necessary tension longitudinally of the same.

The invention is not to be limited to or by details of construction ofthe particular embodiment thereof illustrated by the drawingsas variousother forms-of the device will of course be apparent to those skilled inthe art without departing from the spirit or" the invention orthe scopeof the claims;

What is claimed is:

1. In a shoe tree device of thecharacter described, in combination, anelongated bracket substantially channel-shaped in cross section andproviding a central body portion and top and bottom flanges integraltherewith, said bracket having a transverse slot formed inthebody-portion thereof adjacent the ends respectively and the topflange having a notched opening in connecte mgr-elation with each saidslot, an arm member journalled by the bracket, said arm member includingan arm at each end thereof adapted to extend through one of said slots,whereby; the arms extend outwardly of the bracket by extend;- ingthrough said slots and in front of the central body portion whenhorizontally positioned and whereby the arms are releasably held in avertical position by said notched openings as a result of the tensioneffect of the arms therewith, and means including resilient memberscomprising a shoe tree fixed to the outwardly extending-end of each arm.

2. A shoe tree device as defined by claim 11 additionallyincludingsupporting lugs formed from and integral with the bottom flangefor journalling the said arm member, and wherein the resilient memberscomprising ashoe tree include a main tension member providing atoe-pieceand a plurality of side members forming in part a heel portion.

3; In a shoe tree device of the character described, incombination, abracket adapted tdbe secured to a support and including; an elongatedmetal section substantially channel-shaped in cross section providing acentral body portion and integral top and bottom flanges, said brackethaving a pair of transverse slots formed in the body portion in spacedrelation with a. slot being located adjacent each end of the bracket,the ,top flange of the bracket having a-notched opening in connectingrelation with each said slot, an arm member having releasable.association. with the bracket and being journalled thereby so that the 5arm member may rotate, said arm member including an arm at each endthereof adapted to extend through one of said slots when the arm memberis journalled by the bracket, whereby the arms extend outwardly of thebracket in front of the central body portion when horizontallypositioned and whereby the arms are releasably held in a verticalposition by said notched openings as a result of the tension effect ofthe arms therewith, and means including resilient members comprising ashoe tree fixed to the outwardly extending end of each arm.

4. A shoe tree device as defined by claim 3 additionally includingsupporting lugs formed from and integral with the bottom flange forjournalling the said arm member, and wherein the resilient memberscomprising the shoe tree include a main tension member providing a toepiece and a plurality of side members forming in part a heel portion.

WILLIAM F. SHEPPARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

